


closer now (the start of something beautiful)

by artanogon



Category: The Brotherband Chronicles - John Flanagan
Genre: M/M, Missing Scene, just a very short drabble bc im soft, my favourite gay idiots, of a sort, pretty ambiguous stigal can be interpreted either way, swimming lessons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:53:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24612574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artanogon/pseuds/artanogon
Summary: Two teenage boys, a hot summer day, and swimming shenanigans in a cove by the sea.
Relationships: Hal Mikkelson & Stig Olafson, Hal Mikkelson/Stig Olafson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15





	closer now (the start of something beautiful)

**Author's Note:**

> it’s the BOYS and I love they
> 
> (title from Anybodies Guess by Travis A. King, which you guys should listen to because I love it)

It was a warm summer day in Hallasholm, and Stig and Hal were off being idiots. Technically, it was under the guise of “swimming lessons”, but about halfway through Hal’s attempts at explaining how to swim out of the tide, it had ended up derailing into what was now a bickering match. Mostly about the fact that Stig refused to actually swim out into the deeper water for some actual _practise_ , like an _idiot_. 

“I don’t get why you’re so worried about this. It’s not like I’m going to let you drown. I didn’t when we were twelve, and no matter how much you annoy me I’m not going to stop now,” Hal grumbled, floating absentmindedly. Stig, by contrast, still had an awkward sort of posture, and didn’t look like we was floating at all. In fact—

“You don’t even look like you’re swimming.”

“I’m not,” Stig said, grinning. “The water’s not deep here. You can literally just stand up. Try it.” 

Hal glared up at him. “I’m too short.” 

“No way you are. Just try it.” 

Reluctantly, Hal did and the ocean closed over his head instantly. He kicked upwards quickly until his head broke the surface, gasping for air after the unexpected shock of the ocean. Across from him, Stig was laughing so hard he looked like he was going to fall over. 

“Gorlog’s beard, you are too short!” He said, half in hysterics. Hal resumed glaring and shoved Stig in the chest, nearly making him slip on the slick bed of shoal beneath them. Stig just grinned again and pulled him close by the hand, saltwater streaming from the ends of his hair and down the sides of his neck. The summer sun lit the cove as the waves lapped against them, and for once in his life, Hal was contented to just _be_. 

There was silence for a few moments, then Stig, of course, had to open his big mouth again. “I can’t believe you’re actually that short.”

Hal growled and shoved his friend back. This one, however, caught Stig off-balance and crashed into the water, sending up a burst of seawater over both of them. Hal was shocked for a minute, then burst into a fit of laughter— and didn’t see it coming when Stig grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him down as well. 

Before long the whole thing dissolved into a slippery wrestling match, full of gasping, mad cackling and assorted death threats. Hal grinned without restraint, his chest full to bursting with this idle happiness, and he didn’t even mind when he got a whole lungful of water mid-yelled challenge. They were carefree and happy here, and there was nothing else to worry about. This was enough. It was more than enough.


End file.
